The disclosure relates to frangible projectiles including a sintered, compacted, iron-based mixture of particles and, more specifically, to frangible bullets for use in target and training applications.
There is a need for training ammunition that can reduce or eliminate the risk of ricochet. Frangible ammunition, which breaks into small pieces upon impact, has been used in the past to meet these needs. A frangible projectile disintegrates upon impact with no appreciable back splash or ricochet which might injure the shooter, other persons nearby or equipment. Prior projectiles have been made substantially of lead. The use of lead produces undesirable health risks from airborne and sedentary lead particles. Lead particles present a health risk to shooters and others nearby, and also create an environmental problem where the lead particles fall to the ground upon impact of the projectile.
Two prior solutions to the need for frangible, lead-free projectiles have been (1) the use of a compacted, sintered admixture of metal particles comprising copper powder as the base metal, and (2) the use of a compacted, unsintered iron powder, as noted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,263,798 and 6,691,623.